How to Tell Fortunes With the I Ching

Throughout history, the I-Ching has been used as both a manual of wisdom and a manual of divining. Ancient users of the text would traditionally cast yarrow stalks, and, though a complex process, would be able to give some hint of fortune to the one seeking it by figuring out a certain hexagram: six lines, either Yin or Yang, one over the other. In total, there are 64 hexagrams to the I-Ching, each with many meanings, but these weren't available to those who couldn't figure out the yarrow stalk method. Over time though, a simpler method was developed using coins, which will be covered here.

Things You'll Need

• 3 coins
• Copy of the I-Ching
• Pen
• Paper

Instructions

1. Focus on two main things when divining: whether a line is either Yin (- -) or Yang (---), and whether it is an old or new line. To begin, flip all three coins.

2. Figure out the type of line you must draw. If you have three tails, then you have an old Yin (- -); if you have three heads, then you have an old Yang (---); if you have two tails and one head, then you have a young Yin (- -); if you have two heads and one tail, then you have a young Yang(---). After you figure out which type of line is represented by your coin toss, draw it and write whether it is an old or new line next to it.

3. Repeat Step 2 until you have six lines total. It is important that, when writing your lines, to start from the bottom and "stack" the other lines on top of the first (going along with tradition).

4. Look up the hexagram you've drawn in your I-Ching. Most modern printings will have a chart somewhere inside that will help you find which of the 64 hexagrams you have cast.

5. Know that this is the important step. If you had ALL young lines, read only the judgment of the corresponding hexagram. If you had ANY old lines, ONLY read the corresponding line commentaries. Therefore, if you're fourth line was the only "old" line, read only that. If you have more than one old line, read all of the commentaries for those lines.

6. Be aware that now that you have your initial fortune, if you had any old lines, change them to be their opposite. So, if you had an old Yin line on the top, it would change to a young Yang. After you "age" all of your old lines, look up the new hexagram in your I-Ching and read only the judgment.

Tips & Warnings

• It takes a bit of getting the hang of. Most modern copies of the I-Ching will include an introduction that tells you how to use both the yarrow stalk method and the coin method. If you're having trouble, buy a modern copy and at least look into it--even if you don't believe in divining, it can be full of enlightening wisdom.